The hot summer of 1776 grew more
heated for the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. Congress was
initially keen on voting for independence from Great Britain for the 13
colonies hugging the eastern coastline of North America. But the fervent hopes for independence were being dashed by a
quirt of parliamentary procedure.
To approve independence Congress
had to be unanimous in its vote. Each colony had one vote, so all 13 colonies
were need to vote in the affirmative. The problem was New York- its delegation
had not received instructions on how to vote. The vote on July 2 was 12-0 in
favor of independence with New York abstaining. John Hancock, the president of
Congress, ruled that an abstaining vote must be ruled in the negative, Despite
intense pressure on New York’s delegation and its political masters in New
York, the votes on July 4, July 10, and August 1 were as identical as the
first. Congress was exhausted.
Later in August, Congress was
informed by General Washington of the Continental Army that Great Britain has
sent the largest overseas army in the history of the world was now in New York
harbor. The sails of the warships were seen to the horizon and the troops were
landing on Staten Island preparing for attack against the colonial defenders. Moreover,
the joint commanders of this huge force, the brothers General William Howe and Admiral
Richard Howe, had also been designated by His Majesty’s government as peace
commissioners to seek an honorable end of hostilities for both sides.
Congress, unable to secure
independence for its constituents, was open to negotiations. After three days
od debate, John Dickinson introduced a motion for Congress to enter into peace
talks with the brothers Howe. After the motion’s unanimous approval, Congress
appointed Dickinson, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and
General Washington as its own peace commissioners.
The peace conference began on
September 1 on Ellis Island. Joining the Howe brothers as British commissioners
were General Cornwallis, General Clinton, and Edmund Burke, Member of
Parliament. After opening introductions, the conference went straight to
business. The initial talking points for each side were as follows:
Great Britain-
1.
Each colony was to give its full allegiance to
the British Crown.
2.
Each colony was to obey and enforce without hesitation
laws passed by Parliament.
3.
His Majesty’s Government will be in charge of
Indian policy.
4.
Any colony or resident not during so after
January 1, 1777, would be considered in a state of treason against the Crown
and will receive the lawful punishment for the same.
Congress-
1.
Full and unconditional pardons for all persons
who has threatened or attacked British official, soldiers, or policies to date.
2.
Each colony will select its own representative
assembly, executive, and judges in the manner it deems best.
3.
Each colony will send two representatives as
full voting members of Parliament selected in the manner the colony deems best.
4.
The Congress will continue as a legitimate body
to represent the common interests of the colonies and will make lawful decisions
accordingly.
Despite the bloodshed of the
previous year at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, the peace conference went
surprisingly well. The real debate was over Indian policy. Britain was
concerned about constant warfare between the natives and the colonials calling
for the regular army to intervene. And Congress was concerned about the rights of
Americans to move westward unhindered.
The conference concluded after three
weeks with the following points:
·
British points # 1, 2, and 4, and Congress’s
point #1 were adopted permanently.
·
The other points were adopted to be amended as
needed by a “Framework for Governing the American Colonies” to take effect no
longer than January 1, 1787.
·
Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin will be appointed
to the committee to draft the framework.
·
Burke, the British colonial secretary, and one other
person will name as the review committee for the frameworks.
·
To allow amble time for Parliament and Congress
to each approve the peace agreement, the Continental Army and the British
Expeditionary Force will remain in place until January 1, 1777. (However, for
practical reasons, both armies dwindled in size until the designated date,)
The colonial committee finished the
framework draft on March 31, 1777, and immediately sent several copies to
London for the parliamentary review committee. A dozen changes were made and
sent back with the colonial committee receiving the changes on May 28. These
changes were approved the colonial committee and sent to Congress for its
approval. After a week’s debate Congress passed the framework with one
amendment and forwarded it to Parliament for its approval. Parliament approved
without amendment on August 21, 1777, to be implemented on January 1, 1778.
The document entitled “The
Framework for the Governance of the American Colonies” had the following major
features:
Introduction
1.
Declaration of Intent between Parliament and the
Continental Congress
2.
Acceptance of the Peace Agreement of January 1,
1777
3.
This framework does not include the governance
of Canada
Main Section
4.
Each American colony will be redesignated as a
“crown state”
5.
Each crown state will select its own assembly,
executive, and judges
6.
Each crown state will send two full voting
members to Parliament
7.
The “Confederation of Crown States” will have a
Confederation Congress for common interests such as trade and frontier defense
8.
Each crown stae will send three delegates to
Congress with each crown state having one vote
9.
Congress will select its own president who will
have appointment powers for all department heads and judges enabled by the
Congress
Declaration of Rights
10.
Speech
11.
Press
12.
Assembly
13.
Religion
14.
Firearms
15.
Due Process
Timeline
of History
1778- Confederation of Crown States
established with its capital in Philadelphia
1804- New Orleans seized by Royal
Navy and Louisiana ceded to Britain by France
1806- Acts of Parliament and
Confederation Congress declare Louisiana to be “Territory for all Native Tribes”
for 99 years
1809- Slave trade abolished in
British Empire
1826- Slavery abolished in British
Empire
1827- South Carolina and Georgia
rebelled over slave issue
1830- Rebellion crushed by British
and Crown States forces; Governors Calhoun and Crawford convicted of
insurrection, and imprisoned in Tower of London for 15 years
1850- British and Crown States
forces seize Texas and California
1860- Acts of Parliament and Confederation
Congress created the United States of America as sovereign nation within the
British Commonwealth (along with Canada as its own nation)
1861- Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert visited Philadelphia; July 1 declared as Commonwealth Day throughout USA
1875- USA purchased Alaska from
Russia
1890- USA seized Hawaii
1899- USA seized Cuba, Puerto Rico,
Guam, and Philippines from Spain
1905- Grand Expansion on August 21
as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Philippines and seven states carved
out of the old Louisiana Territory admitted to USA
1914- Great War begins in Europe;
arrived of two million soldiers from USA and Canada in 1915 prove decisive on
battlefield as Berlin is captured on November 1’ Russia moves from war to
revolution as Reds are defeated; Commonwealth forces defeated National Socialists
in Munich to prevent Nazi takeover of Germany
1942- Japan attacked Commonwealth
bases in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore
1944- Commonwealth forces defeated Japanese
Navy in the decisive Naval Battle of the Central Pacific; Japan under total
blockade
1946- Japan surrendered to
Commonwealth and Allied nations
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